RULAAC petitions AGF over missing persons, alleged torture, unimplemented court judgments in South-East
The Rule of Law and Accountability Advocacy Centre (RULAAC) has petitioned the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice over alleged enforced disappearances, torture, prolonged detention without access to families and lawyers, custodial deaths and disputed prosecutions in Southeast Nigeria.
The organisation also called on the Federal Government to implement outstanding court judgments, including the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Court judgment in favour of Glory Okolie, and ensure compliance with subsequent court orders.
In a statement issued on Wednesday, October 28, 2026, RULAAC said its petition drew on testimonies presented at a joint press conference organised by the Southeast Human Rights Bureau (SEHRB), the Oganihu Igbo Development Foundation and Intersociety in Enugu on October 17, alongside subsequent correspondence and court documents.
The press conference, held under the theme, “The Missing, the Detained and the Dead,” featured accounts from survivors and relatives who alleged that security personnel took away their loved ones, transferred them to distant detention facilities and denied them access to family members and legal representatives.
According to RULAAC, some families have spent years searching for missing relatives without reliable information about their whereabouts or welfare.
RULAAC renewed its call for the implementation of the ECOWAS Court judgment delivered on November 21, 2024, in the case of Glory Okolie v Federal Republic of Nigeria.
The court found violations of Okolie’s rights to personal liberty and a fair trial and ordered the Nigerian government to pay her N10 million in compensation, stop further harassment and take measures to prevent a recurrence.
The judgment, identified as ECW/CCJ/JUD/38/24, arose from application ECW/CCJ/APP/50/21.
RULAAC Executive Director, Okechukwu Nwanguma, said the Federal Government should demonstrate respect for the judiciary by complying with its decisions.
“Glory Okolie and other survivors should not have to begin another prolonged struggle to obtain remedies after securing judgment,” Nwanguma said.
The organisation urged the Attorney General to determine the implementation status of outstanding judgments, identify the institutions responsible for compliance and publish a timetable for fulfilling the court’s orders.
It said the required remedies could include compensation, release or production of detained persons, restitution, public apologies, protection against further harassment and measures to prevent similar violations, depending on the terms of each judgment.
The organisation also called for the enforcement of a judgment obtained by Agboje Gladys Ngozi, also known as Ngozichukwu Ada-Dav.
RULAAC said the Federal High Court in Abuja, on October 6, 2023, found that her fundamental rights had been violated and awarded N30 million in compensatory and exemplary damages against the Nigeria Police Force and the Inspector General of Police.
The court also ordered a public apology in a national daily newspaper and granted other reliefs.
According to RULAAC, the judgment remains unimplemented. It asked the Attorney General to confirm whether an appeal or stay of execution exists and ensure compliance with the operative orders if there is no lawful impediment.
Nwanguma said failure to provide an effective remedy after a successful court action compounds the harm suffered by victims.
RULAAC identified several missing persons in its petition, including Chidiebere Echefu, Ifeanyi Thomas Arinze, Okechukwu Paul, Ozioma Elizabeth Onyeaka, Esther Okwudili Egbom, Abel Onyedikachi Ugwuoke, Ezugwu Paul Ejike and Chidiebere Christian Ugwu.
The petition also raised cases involving the missing husband of Chinyere Blessing Nwachukwu, allegations of family arrest and torture reported by a woman identified as Ifeyinwa, and claims by Adaeze of torture and persistent ill health.
It further cited the reported death of Calista Ifedi at Wawa Barracks and called for investigations into other cases requiring tracing and clarification.
The organisation requested independent investigations into Wawa Barracks, relevant facilities operated by the Department of State Services (DSS), Tiger Base in Owerri, the former Intelligence Response Team (IRT) facility in Abuja and other locations identified during the inquiry.
RULAAC said some families reportedly learnt that their missing relatives were alive only through former detainees or lawyers, sometimes years after their disappearance.
It called on authorities to verify reported sightings and provide formal information about the whereabouts, legal status and welfare of the affected persons.
“Once the State takes a person into custody, it must account for that person. Families deserve reliable information about the whereabouts, legal status and welfare of their relatives,” Nwanguma said.
The organisation also requested the retrieval and independent examination of court records in cases involving reported prison sentences of five, 20 and 40 years, as well as life imprisonment.
It expressed concern over allegations that some defendants were pressured to plead guilty, lacked effective legal representation or were prosecuted after prolonged isolation from their families.
However, RULAAC said the allegations required examination of the actual charges, evidence, plea proceedings, judgments and records of legal representation.
The organisation also distinguished between witness accounts, information relayed by advocates and established judicial findings.
“A terrorism allegation does not extinguish the rights of an accused person,” Nwanguma said, adding that credible allegations of coercion, torture or denial of legal representation required prompt investigation and appropriate judicial remedies.
Among its demands, RULAAC called for verified information on the whereabouts and legal status of all persons named in the petition, the lawful release of persons unlawfully detained and those whose release had been ordered by courts, and prompt family contact.
It also demanded confidential access to independent legal counsel, necessary medical treatment, preservation of custody and transfer records, and independent investigations into alleged torture, disappearances, custodial deaths, secret burials and coercive interrogation.
Other demands include independent legal reviews of disputed convictions and guilty pleas, prosecution and disciplinary action where evidence establishes wrongdoing, and compensation and medical and psychosocial rehabilitation for victims.
The organisation also called for an investigation of possible supervisory and command responsibility where evidence supports it.
It proposed a coordinated mechanism linking missing-person reports with security agency, correctional service, court, hospital and mortuary records, alongside forensic identification of unknown remains.
RULAAC acknowledged the responsibility of security agencies to protect the public and investigate violent crime but maintained that such responsibilities must be exercised within the law and subject to effective oversight.
The organisation said it had requested an initial written response from the Attorney General within 14 days, while urging immediate action in cases involving medical emergencies, missing persons, unlawful detention and the preservation of evidence.
“Investigations must establish the truth, prosecutions must follow fair procedures and judgments must produce effective remedies,” Nwanguma said.
He urged the Federal Government to ensure that the allegations were investigated, those found responsible were held accountable and survivors received appropriate compensation and rehabilitation.
